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CINCINNATI -- The Brewers' Rickie Weeks, J.J. Hardy and Ryan Braun hit three straight home runs to start Sunday's game against the Reds, making Milwaukee only the third team in major league history to accomplish the feat.

Facing left-hander Phil Dumatrait, Weeks hit a 2-1 pitch into the Reds bullpen in left-center field for the fifth leadoff homer of his career and second of the season.

J.J. Hardy followed with his 24th homer of the season and first since he hit one against Cincinnati's Aaron Harang in the Brewers' 7-6 loss to the Reds at Milwaukee on Aug. 19. The homer into the Brewers' bullpen down the right field line snapped Hardy's 0-for-12 slump.

Ryan Braun followed with a shot to center field, his 29th to break the club record for homers by a rookie set last season by Prince Fielder. He added his 30th in the second inning to give Milwaukee a 7-1 lead. The two-homer game was the rookie's third of the season.

San Diego's Marvell Wynne, Tony Gwynn and John Kruk became the first trio to open a game with consecutive home runs, on April 13, 1987, off of Roger Mason in a 13-6 loss to San Francisco at San Diego.

Atlanta's Rafael Furcal, Mark DeRosa and Gary Sheffield also hit consecutive home runs off of the Reds' Jeff Austin to lead off the Braves 15-3 win at Cincinnati on May 28, 2003.

The Brewers last hit three consecutive home runs a quarter-century ago, when they were still in the American League and went to the World Series. Cecil Cooper, Ted Simmons and Ben Oglivie teamed up to do it in a 9-8 loss to the Yankees at New York on Sept. 12, 1982.

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press